Coupling device for medical tubing

Abstract

A coupling device that is removably couplable with a mating connector is disclosed where the coupling device can include a housing and another structure that is movable relative to the housing such as an inner body or a cuff, and in a first configuration, the coupling device resists separation between the coupling device and a mating connector, in a second configuration, the resistance to separation between the mating connector and the coupling device is reduced relative to the first configuration such that the coupling device can permit separation between the coupling device and the mating connector when any of the inner body or the cuff is moved, biased, and/or flexed, and where the coupling device can be re-coupled with a mating connector after separation between the coupling device and the mating connector.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A coupling device for medical tubing, the coupling device comprising:
 a housing having an inner surface forming a cavity, a first opening into the cavity, and a second opening into the cavity; and   an inner body having a fluid passage, extending through the inner body, and a coupling sleeve, wherein the inner body is positioned within the cavity of the housing with the coupling sleeve extending toward the first opening of the housing such that the housing and the inner body are movable relative to each other;   wherein, in a first position of the inner body, biasing of at least a portion of the coupling sleeve in a direction that is radially outward is resisted by engagement of the coupling sleeve with the housing; and wherein, in a second position of the inner body, the coupling sleeve is moved through the first opening in a direction that is away from the second opening of the housing such that the at least a portion of the coupling sleeve can be biased radially outward.   
     
     
         2 . The coupling device of  claim 1 , wherein the inner body comprises at least one channel that extends through the coupling sleeve in a direction from a first end of the inner body toward a second end of the inner body. 
     
     
         3 . The coupling device of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one channel comprises a first channel and a second channel, wherein the second channel is spaced apart from the first channel, and where a first portion of the coupling sleeve between the first and second channels forms a first flexible finger, and a second portion of the coupling sleeve between the first and second channels forms a second flexible finger. 
     
     
         4 . The coupling device of  claim 1 , wherein the inner body comprises a luer tip that extends within the coupling sleeve, toward a first end of the inner body. 
     
     
         5 . The coupling device of  claim 1 , further comprising a biasing element positioned between the housing and the inner body. 
     
     
         6 . The coupling device of  claim 1 , wherein the inner body comprises a spline that extends from an outer surface of the inner body, in a direction that is radially outward away from an outer surface of the inner body. 
     
     
         7 . The coupling device of  claim 6 , wherein the spline is configured to be positioned within a groove extending along the inner surface of the housing such that the housing and the inner body are rotationally coupled. 
     
     
         8 . The coupling device of  claim 7 , wherein the housing and the inner body are movable, relative to each other, along a length of the groove. 
     
     
         9 . A coupling device for medical tubing, the coupling device comprising:
 a housing having a first end, a second end, and an inner surface forming a cavity, wherein the first end comprises a first opening into the cavity, and the second end comprises a second opening into the cavity;   an inner body having a first end portion, a second end portion, a fluid passage extending through the first and second end portions of the inner body, the first end portion comprising a coupling sleeve formed by a wall having an inner surface that extends around a longitudinal axis defined by the fluid passage to form a recess extending from a first end of the inner body toward the second end portion, wherein the inner body is positioned within the cavity of the housing such that the housing and the inner body are movable relative to each other; and   a biasing element positioned between the first end of the housing and the inner body;   wherein, in a first position of the inner body, the first end of the inner body is longitudinally aligned with the first end of the housing such that biasing of at least a portion of the wall away from the longitudinal axis is resisted by the housing, and in a second position of the inner body, the second end of the housing is moved away from the second end portion of the inner body such that the first end of the inner body is longitudinally spaced apart from the first end of the housing and the at least a portion of the wall can be biased away from the longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         10 . The coupling device of  claim 9 , wherein the inner body comprises at least one channel that extends through the wall, from the first end of the inner body toward the second end portion of the inner body. 
     
     
         11 . The coupling device of  claim 9 , wherein the inner body comprises a thread that extends along the inner surface of the wall. 
     
     
         12 . The coupling device of  claim 9 , wherein the inner body comprises a luer tip that extends within the coupling sleeve, from a bottom surface of the recess toward the first end of the inner body. 
     
     
         13 . The coupling device of  claim 9 , wherein the first opening of the housing comprises a first cross-sectional width, and an outer surface of the wall of the inner body comprises a second cross-sectional width, and wherein the first cross-sectional width is equal to or greater than the second cross-sectional width, such that, the first end portion of the inner body is longitudinally movable between the first and second positions through the first opening. 
     
     
         14 . The coupling device of  claim 9 , wherein the housing comprise a ledge that extends radially inward from the inner surface into the cavity. 
     
     
         15 . The coupling device of  claim 14 , wherein, in the first position, a portion of the inner body is engaged against the ledge, thereby resisting movement of inner body toward the second end of the housing. 
     
     
         16 . The coupling device of  claim 9 , wherein a distance from the first end of the inner body to a second end of the inner body is greater than a distance from the first end of the housing to a distal end of the cavity. 
     
     
         17 . The coupling device of  claim 9 , further comprising a cap coupled to the first end of the housing, the cap forming at least a portion of the first opening of the housing. 
     
     
         18 . The coupling device of  claim 9 , wherein the biasing element comprises a spring configured to direct the inner body toward the first position. 
     
     
         19 . A method for providing a coupling device for medical tubing, the method comprising:
 providing an inner body in a cavity of a housing such that the housing and the inner body are movable relative to each other, and a coupling sleeve defined by a proximal portion of the inner body extends through a first opening at a first end of the housing;   providing a biasing element in the housing such that the biasing element is positioned between a first end of the housing and the inner body;   providing a tubing through a second opening at a second end of the housing and couplable to a fluid passage extending through the inner body;   wherein, in a first position of the inner body, a first end of the inner body is longitudinally aligned with the first end of the housing such that biasing of at least a portion of coupling sleeve away from a longitudinal axis of the fluid passage of the inner body is resisted by the housing, and in a second position of the inner body, the second end of the housing is moved away from the second end of the inner body such that the first end of the inner body is longitudinally spaced apart from the first end of the housing and the at least a portion of the coupling sleeve can be biased away from the longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein, when the inner body is in the second position and a mating connector, coupled to the coupling sleeve, is moved in a direction away from the first end of the inner body, engagement of the mating connector with the coupling sleeve directs at least a portion of the coupling sleeve away from the longitudinal axis.